Headlands hikers take a step into history

"From the Mission to Today's Coastline," a historical walk Sunday morning beginning at the Dana Point Nature Interpretive Center, drew about a dozen visitors to hear docent Rene Cortez talk about what made the area attractive to Spanish settlers and how they used and modified the landscape.

The discussion also covered how the settlers lived, what led to their loss of power and how the land transitioned to Mexico and then the United States.

The 1½-mile trip took walkers to the highest point of the Dana Point Headlands for a 360-degree view of south Orange County, northern San Diego County and as far north as Palos Verdes.